Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1887-02-16
HENRY'S LAKE.
A Wonderful Sheet OF Water in
Idaho.


Idaho.
One OF the wonders OF our great
country is Henry's lake. on the Sum-
NIT of the Rocky mountains, near the
line between Idaho and Montana, on
the Targee'J Pass trail. The lake is
five miles wide and ten miles long. II
Is the source Of the north fork of Snake
river. Like a basin overflowing the
clear water ripples over a bar that
forms the brlm-a bar OF crumbled
crystalline quariZ-in gurgling stream
that fOws peacefully through waving
grass for half a mile and then plunges
into a canyon where 1t is lashed into a
foam and leaps over precipices on its
way down from that continental divide
as it grows to be a great river. After
Journey of one hundred miles over
rocky heights and through mountain
dedles, we reached the lake. Men and
horses were tired and hungry. The
mild beauty of the smooth water,
level meadows and shaded parks, all
smiling with the evening sunlight, was
Il happy relief. The blue grass was
variegated with wild flowers, birds
were singing in the trees, swans were
swimming in the lake. Before US was
the winter range of the antelope, the
deer and elk. \ party of trappers
who spent one winter there, say the
elk came down like herds of cattle aud
destroyed their hay. They were COM
PEELED todrive great droyes of elk away
to save any grass or other feed for their
pack horses.
One of the wonders OF Henry'S lake
is the hoating island. When we camped
at night lovely island was within
stones throw of us. We decided to
explore it in the morning. The soft
green carpet, the dropping willows and
stiff little pines, so near the shining
surface of the cool blue water filled
us with desire to rest in their shade.
When morning came the island was
gone. Five miles away we could see
the little trees waving in the wind
that had waited them to the opposite
side OF the lake. The wind changed,
however, and the mysterious island came
on its daily orbit and rested, while all
nature was hushed that lovely after
AABD4l. llCii WAClC VIC Id4 IAoS oOCh IL.
We padded a raft of logs to its border.
Ii WAS circular in shape and three hun
dred feet in diameter. The outer edge
was tough sward, and so thin that it
gave down under the weight of man
and let him into the water boot-tOp
deep. A few feet from the edge it
would support the weight of u
horse. The floating mass we found to
be a mat OF green grass roots over
spread with a thin layer of decayed
vegetable matter. The small trees had
taken root in that blanket Of mold,
They rocked and swayed from side to
side as we walked around them. As
We approached the island large num-
Der of swans was seen to swim away.
There seemed to be two kinds-whIte
and gray. Their cultural calls could
be heard five miles. In the wake of
some that evidently were filling the
Office of mother, as they floated males-
tically away. were following the cyg-
nets, duffy and rounl like punches of
tow. Iu the grass near us was a swan
flI,teriEg and crying aS she stretched
out her long neck ani spread out her
the water when We were twenty-five
feet distant and disappeared. When
We next saw her she was far out on the
lake swimming with three OF four very
small young ones close behind. She
had managed TO get them out of the
nest into the water, and they had fol-
lowed her. They were not one day old.
In the nest from which they had been
hurried were 1--we eggs not yet Matched.
Two white, soft, fat bills had just
broken through the hard shell. The
fat man of the party contracted to
complete the hatching process in the
bosom of his shirt, and we carried the
two eggs to camp. Our incubator was
a success, and on the following morn
ing he drew forth from the receSseS Ct
his baggy flannel shirt two long heads
and long necks, with small, down.
covered bodies attached.
Another curiosity near the lake is
what is called Moose springs. From
the mouth OF cave in tie side Of
bluff bursts forth river OF cOnsidera-
ble size. The sparkling water, after
seething and roaring under the weight
OF great pressure or other hidden
forces, spreads out over a rocky bed of
glistening quartz forty feet wide, ard
leaps from ledge to ledge down the
precipitous heights. Thousands of
mountain trout are continually trying
to stem that tumbling current. They
can be seen flouncing in the air from
morning till night III their effort to
gain the underground river, after fol-
lowing the tumuituous Snake TO the
summit of the great watershed of the
continent. Indians catch and pack
away from that place tons of trout
every year. When we visited the fish
ing ground hungry, nomadio tribe
of dusky natives aftsr weary days of
travel, were arranging camp and look
ing over of the prospect OF a sumptu-
Gus meal. They were to feast on fish
that were not yet caught.
After lighting the log fires the Usher
men repaired to the foot Of the steep
incline by the rushing outlet of the
suhterranean river. Each man cut
slender rod and shaped the end OF it to
fit loosely the hollow end of buck
horn spear tip. A strong cord attached
the tip to the rod or haft OF the spear.
A muscular brave would step forward,
a brawny bare arm would raise the
simple implement above his head,
where it would balance for second.
and then like an arrow it would be
hurled into the water with a sure aim;
a trout would flash his speckled sides
in the sun, the blood would flew in
red cloud down the stream, and fine
fish would be landed on the green
sward. The buckhorn tip would pass
through the body ana slip from the
haft as it was pulled back. The cord
fastening the tip to the rod would hold
the fish, let him founder as he would.
After catching ten pounds for each
member of the company they proceeded
to cook the evening meal in manner
as simple as it was strange. Large
quantities of soft clay were dug FROM
the bank and kneaded to the cons!s-
tency of dough, and each fish was